After the İstanbul deputy of the main opposition party, CHP, submitted an application to the Communications Center of the Presidency, the official declaration on the number of workers killed in occupational murders between 2013-2018 in İstanbul’s new airport has risen to 52. Although the AKP’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Cahit Turhan, declared the number as 30 at the beginning of November 2018, the latest report has shown that the number is 52.

İstanbul CHP deputy Ali Şeker stated that despite the occupational murders in which 52 workers were killed in 5 years and workers’ protests against inhumane working and living conditions in the site, the only response coming from the government has been to impose fines. “The site was inspected 22 times in total after occupational accidents and complaints and 74 contractor companies were imposed fines amounting to nearly 3 billion Turkish Liras”, Şeker added.

33 construction workers are still under arrest as hundreds of them were taken into custody on September 15 after protesting and striking over labor violations during the rush to open the airport on 29 October. The airport construction is now claimed to be finished completely on December 31. The workers arrested in September will appear in court on December 5 for the first time since they were arrested.